Vel's SMAX Guide. . . A Newbies View

[Spoot]

OK, before you simply flame me for some of the things I am going to say, remember this is from someone that has just started to play the game and bought this guide to help me play better.

Pros:

1. Great insight into SMAC and the mechanics of the game.

2. It comes through that Val is a "Real" player of the game and not someone playing to simply write a guide.

3. Covers every faction in the game in a very helpful way.

4. It helped me understand that this game has many facets and a depth that belies it simple game play.

Cons:

1. Not written for anyone to understand. You need a background to the game to make this guide really useful.

2. To many corners were cut in the book to make it easier for Val to write.
What I mean is on the very First page of the very first chapter Val uses "IoD" instead of writing what IoD stands for. He never gives a clue as to what he means as he expects the reader to already know.

This continues throughout the entire book. This one factor made me a bit disheartened about the entire book.

3. Not a single chart in the book. I think it would have been helpful to see things charted out for quick reference.

4. The book needed better proof reading for errors in spacing, and such.

5. Val uses terms that only regular players would know the meaning of not newbies. e.g. pg. 108 "The essential elements of warring in SP work for MP, with a few key differences." Or, "Ground Pounders-N-Garrisons."

Well, flame me if you must, but I am a Newbie that is trying to learn this game and i think that this would have been a great book if the time had been taken to make it accessible to ALL level of players, without having to have any game insights first.

My $.02 worth.

Spoot

[Kassiopeia]

You *bought* the guide and it had stuff like "Ground Pounder-N-Garrisons" and "IoD" without explanations? I'd expect something like that from the freely downloadable not-so-complete version (IIRC), but from a book that is *sold*?
If that is the case, then I find your criticism quite reasonable.

PS. I'm not exactly a newbie, but I can't think for the life of me what a Ground Pounder-N-Garrison is.

[Verrucosus]

Hello Spoot,

You have presented a balanced view of the guide and, as a result, your post will be much more helpful for those considering to purchase it than a simple "Buy this!" or "Forget it!" recommendation.

I agree that the guide is most useful to readers with some background of playing the game. For a player who has some experience with the game and particularly for someone who has followed forum discussions in the years following its release, this is the strength of the guide. It leaves explaining much of the basic gameplay to the reader's own experience and the game's excellent manual, and immediately sets out to address the strategic issues that the reader will have been confronted with during his games. Many "official" strategy guides are very professionally done, but they are content to explain the game in a little more detail than the manual. For experienced players, they are often boring and useless. To an experienced player, the fact that Vel has concentrated all of his efforts on the discussion of strategy and taken it to levels that official guides published within weeks of the game's release cannot possibly achieve, makes his guide stand out from the rest. Sooner rather than later you will see yourself as an experienced player as well, and then, I hope, you will cherish Vel's guide as much as I do.

Of course, none of this makes your criticism less valid. In a way, Vel has brought that criticism on himself when he stated that his aim was to allow a relatively inexperienced player to win the game at its highest level. I hope I am able to see things from your perspective, so please allow me to comment on some of your more critical remarks.

While I do agree that the guide requires the reader to have some experience with the game, I don't believe it should take more than three to four games to get to that point. For the early stages of those games, I would recommend sticking to the advice contained in the "Welcome to Alpha Centauri" section of the manual. It's very basic stuff, but on the easier levels, it will keep you from being overrun and allow you to play around with all the options that become available as the game progresses. You may not win at first, but if you play slowly and think carefully about each step, you will soon be able to know what Vel is talking about.

This will also help you with some of those annoying abbreviations. Having played the game a few times, you will probably guess - and I suppose you have found out by now - that "IoD" means "Isle of Deep". By the way, the first few pages (where Vel comments on the differences between SMAC and SMAX) probably originate from the SMAX-update of the guide's online version. While it's good he kept them (so people who just have SMAC have some background when he discusses SMAX features), it is a bit odd to start the guide's final version with these details. I was definitely surprised when saw it and I can understand your irritation. However, the meaning of most abbreviations is obvious from context (e. g. SP = single player, MP = multi player).

Charts - this is the only point where I really have to disagree with you. I suppose what you are thinking about are tables that explain the effect of secret projects, other base structures, terrain enhancements, equipment, society models and so on. These charts are contained in the manual and that's where they belong. When I think of those publishers who think a strategy guide serves is purpose mainly by presenting you game facts, that are (or should be) contained in the manual, in a more accessible fashion ... okay, I'm calm again.

The "Ground Pounders-N-Garrisons" mystery - My guess (again, from context) is that these are offensive and defensive infantry units. The "N" could just stand for "and". In that case, it would be a somewhat extreme example of Vel's conversational style in writing the guide, which, in my opinion, makes reading it much more enjoyable. Even a good strategy guide can be as dry as a textbook, this one is more like a real person talking to you. I was rather impressed with it.

Formatting - while I am not someone to whom content is all that counts, I am aware that this is a work of an enthousiast who wants to share his passion for the game with others by writing about it. In such a case, I am quite willing to accept a few minor glitches that have escaped proof-reading.

Writing this, I was surprised that I had to agree with most of your criticism. I am sorry if the glowing praise that the guide has received here has led you to expect more. Still, when you look back on your list of "pros" and "cons", you will find that the "cons" are issues that can be overcome and that once they are you will be able to enjoy the "pros" for a very long time.

Regards,
Verrucosus

[Spoot]

Verrucosus

Thanks for the balance in your response. I will concede about the proofing issue, as it was just a little point that stood out to me as I read the guide.

I indeed found out what IoD stood for in this very forum, and after rereading the SP and MP I knew what it meant. But I will still say Val uses way to many abbreviations and acronyms in the book. At least the very first time one is used it should be like, "Isle of Deep (IoD)" so the reader knows from that point on.

I do not want to give the impression of not liking the book because I do. It is just I think it could have been an Excellent book instead of simply a Good one.

Anyway, thanks for not flaming me as you made your points.

This is a great community and I do look forward to being a part of it for a long time to come.

Spoot

[Joel Velasco]

Speaking as one who has returned to the game after a long period of time, and for someone who does not have the book, I'll say this...

Spending some time regurgitating parts of the manual isn't necessarily a bad idea. I have moved twice since I originally played, and I have lost my SMAC CD, both manuals, and that wonderful SMACX tech tree that I had hanging on the wall. I went out to the computer store and laid ten bucks down for SMAC, but it came without a manual.

Now after several hours of surfing the net and reviewing the datalinks, I've managed to find my way again, but I know what I'm looking for. For a newbie it would be a different story. Also there are some tables an experienced player would love to have. Just to name one, how about a chart that shows the extra drone thresholds for number of bases.

Of course its easy to point out flaws. I have so much respect for Vel because he took his love of the game and made something for the benefit of others. However, Vel's guide is just that, one mans perspective of the game. Of course this has been shaped by countless number of games, and multitudes of debates in forums, but no guide can be the end all of guides, and I know from Vel's earlier editions that the book isn't intended as such.

Spoot, thank you for your insight. Hopefully it can be used by someone who decides to sit down and write a guide on anything. My question to you is "Did you get your money's worth?" My guess is that you did, or if you continue playing for any length it will. As a bonus, you have found a place to ask questions for elements that maybe the book wasn't clear on, or questions about things you've never considered before. So keep posting.

[Velociryx]

'Val' reporting in! A little late, perhaps, but here nonetheless!

Spoot - excellent critique! I fear that every single one of your critisisms are quite valid. Having played so many games, I lost the ability to see things from a brand new player's perspective, and this is, I believe, where the book's greatest failing lies. At the very least, what's needed is an index of abbreviations someplace easily accessible for reference. Why this notion escaped me till you brought it up here....I have no idea! That would have made an *excellent* and helpful addition to the book!

It's true that some of my writing can be a bit hard to follow....the heading "Ground Pounders -n- Garrisons" being but one example in that vein, and Verrucosus hit the nail squarely on the head there. I tried to write the book in the same "tone" as I would have sat down with a honkin' big glass of tea and a pack of smokes and explained it in my living room. That very image stayed with me, in fact, as I put the words to virtual paper. I didn't want to write a textbook on the game, nor repeat the stuff in the manual that came included. I wanted to get right to the guts of things and present a set of ideas that, if followed through to their natural conclusion, would result in a string of astounding victories.

More than the *process* of going through the motions of any given turn, I wanted to instill a certain line of thinking about the game that would serve the reader well, no matter what their gaming situation. SP (single player) , MP, any faction you decide to play, any planet settings you pick....no matter what the situation, it was my hope in the writing of the guide that something between its covers would provide a spark of inspiration, and when you get down to the nitty gritty, if you found yourself unsure of how to pull something off (pop boom, probe offensive, arranging your army, ZOC'ing in your enemies, etc), then the guide would be there to show you the way....not the *only* way, of course....but a way that has worked reliably for me....tested in game after game.

That sort of thing.

No charts....that's another biggie, and something I debated with myself over. Ultimately, I opted not to include them, because there are (or were, at the time of the publication of the guide) numerous sites out there sporting downloads of every sort of chart imaginable. Mini tech trees, building costs....the works. So....rather than re-create the work of others, I wandered off in my own direction, as I've grown so fond of doing. The result of course, was that when SMAC began to fade from the minds of many, a lot of the sites and sources for that plethora of charts dried up too....another oversight on my part.

Spelling errors....*big sigh* Even with spell checker, I will be the first to admit that I'm notoriously bad about that. Prone even to invent entirely new words on the fly (without a word of explanation to the reader) of what they might mean. Usually, my meaning is made clear by the context, but not always....yet another blemish on the book's record, and a failing that rests entirely with the author.

The hope though....and the thing that kept me writing for the better part of three hundred pages, was that a new, relatively inexperienced player would be able to read the book from cover to cover, and come away with a set of principles upon which to build his/her game that would allow the player to dominate the AI, and have a great time exploring all the subtlety to be found in the game....and, if MP is your thing, perhaps even to hand a surprise or three to a more seasoned opponent, who erroneously thought he might run over the "poor little new guy."

I love it when the underdog wins.

So....total agreement from me on your criticisms. The ol' gal ain't perfect, but she's a pretty reliable steed.

-=Vel=-

[Spoot]

Val, err, I mean Vel (proofing error don’t you know! ),

Thanks for the response, though I never expected one from you.

I do indeed enjoy the book and have learned a lot more then I can remember at one time. So I know I will continue to re-read it again and again.

Well, if you do a version 5.0 then maybe you can step back in time when you were just a wee newbie and adjust it accordingly.

Thanks again and thanks for being so gracious in your response. This forum is not what I am use to in many others. Not one flame, gee that is novel, and really, really nice!

Spoot

[Googlie]

Spoot (et al.)

There's another site with a good library of smac/x concepts and explanations to help understand about population-booming, crawler upgrades, etc etc. It's at:

http://www.civgaming.net/smac/academy.shtml

Together with Vel's book, and these insights and explanations, there's not much left to wonder about (except the charts, of course)

Googlie

[Velociryx]

Expect the unexpected, my friend! Seriously, that's something perhaps not specifically said in the book, but something I certainly hope got implied in the overall tone. My e-mail addy and website are mentioned in the book, and if you get stumped on something, don't hesitate even for a moment to shoot me a note! I answer every single mail I get (though some days it takes longer than others), so if you have trouble with something, by all means, mail away!

Of course, that's no substitute for hanging out here on the forums, but just so you know, the option's always there....

-=Vel=-

[Adalbertus]

About abbreviations: In the FAQ (frequently asked questions ) thread I started a list of abbreviations but it is by no means complete (just added IoD). If you feel there are some missing, please feel free to PM (private mail) me.
Indeed, there are some tables I would like to have, such as beaurocracy drones (which has been researched extensively), or a concise summary on the available tech choices (where I'm still unsure whether it has reached a level higher than "good guesses").
In my view, the biggest drawback of the printed version is the overall formatting, i. e. that it would look horrible when printed out (no way to print one page on a sheet).

[MariOne]

Adalbertus,
I'm not sure I get what you mean about the page formatting.
You might intend that the e-book, which comes in side-to-side pages uneditable pdf format would look horrible when printed.

I am in that situation, and have not undertaken the endeavour to print down the e-book yet.
I figured out that I would have 3 options available.
2 consist in printing the pdf pages just as they are, using a department printer "both sides" option, in the correct sequence.
Your choice would be in the orientation of the sides, resulting in binding them along the short side or along the long side.
In one case this would result in a long 4 guide-pages wide "strip" when open, like those old comics albums... in the other case it would be more compact but it would be strange to browse the pages vertically, and the reading order of the guide-pages would also be strange, Z-like.
The size of the contraption would be in any case the whole A4, a bit of an encumbrance and still too thick to fold it in two when unused...
I am thinking tho, making good exploitment of the company's resources (read: I won't have to pay for the paper and for the toner...).
...You first print all the pdf pages on one side.
Then you feed the resulting ream (?) back into the printer, taking care to add or skip one page so that the backisde page numbers are staggered.
For instance on the back of the 2-3 pdf page printed in the first pass, you'll print the 4-5 pdf page in the second pass.
Page 4 will be on the back of the page 3 side. You'll also get as by-product page 5 on the back of page 2, which is unusable.
Then you'll obtain on the next sheet pdf page 6-7 printed on the back of the initial first-pass pdf page 4-5.
Again, you'll have 6 side back to back with 5 side, and an unusable 4/7 coupling.
Cut those sheets in two, and you'll obtain normal A5 sized page 3/4 and page 5/6 two-sided printed sheets, with 2/5 and 4/7 waste sheets.
All you'll need is to print the whole file as it is, twice, feeding back the first pass into the printer with a wise staggering; then a tool allowing you to uniformly cut whole reams of paper in two. And then you need to bind the result somehow: near universities there are usually lots of copy/printing/binding service centers to meet the students needs, which would easily solve the latter steps for you at a fairly cheap price - less than the 20 more $ needed to get the printed version from Booksurge and get it shipped in Europe, I presume.

[Adalbertus]

MariOne, yeah, it's the e-book, and exactly the problem you describe. Thanks for the solutions.

[Shard]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but is there any way to pay for/download a text file version of the book? I don't want to deal with the horrendous shipping costs/wait for the hard copy (or at least I heard they were horrendous), and I really hate PDFs and find them a pain in the ass to read.

I would happily pay the PDF price for a Word document or even Notepad file of the book .

[MariOne]

Hmmm....

I have Acrobat Reader 5.0, which does allow to select text and copy/paste it in word/notepad.

Alas for you, Vel/booksurge are not amateur, and they applied some Acrobat Protection setting to the PDF, which disabled the Copy command on it (it normally works with other files), and the SelectAll too (which would have forced me anyway to select the single 134 pages of text one by one!).

So I can't materially help you.
Not mentioning that I wouldn't have anyway ripped my friend Vel of his deserved earning for your copy of the Guide.

You should apply to him, to get both the permission and eventually the material.
I imagine tho that he's bound too by some clause with Booksurge preventing him to distribute the same work thru other vectors.

[MariOne]

About the shipping costs, the item at Booksurg comes for ~15 US$ (the e-book version for just 8$).
They told me that the charges for shipping in Europe would have been of 13.30$.

This would have made the printed item cost 28.30$ shipping included, against the mere 8.00$ of the e-book.

I can't say about Oceania.